An elegant small village house with a walled garden,
1 hour from Paris, close to the Chateau de Courances
1 hour from Paris, close to the Chateau de Courances
Milly-la-Forêt,
ESSONNE
ile-de-france
91490
FR
Location
Courances, which is tucked away in the heart of the Gâtinais natural regional park, is set around the chateau of the same name with its more than 85-hectare estate, famous for its water garden and horseshoe-shaped staircase reminiscent of the one at the Chateau de Fontainebleau, located around twenty minutes away. The small village, with its traditional stone-built edifices and a population of 300, is lively all year round and possesses several convenience stores including a bakery, a watercress seller as well as the café and shop at the chateau. Each Saturday afternoon, a local producers’ market takes place in its main square. There is a nursery school for young children, who can then continue their education in other establishments in Dannemois, Milly-la-Forêt or surrounding municipalities. Paris can be reached in one hour from the station at Boutigny-sur-Essonne, siutated 15 minutes away by car, on Line D on the RER rail network.
Description
The stone house, which was built in the late 19th century and is located in the village centre, can be easily recognised thanks to the Virginia creeper than runs along its stone facade. The entrance to the house is from the courtyard, which can be reached through two tall wooden doors. Visitors are welcomed by a weathervane topped by a rooster standing on the top of the covered patio. A stone-paved path leads to the green-grey entrance door, on a patio dotted with plants and shrubs around a fountain. The around 100-m² two-storey edifice with a roof of flat tiles is set in an L-shape around the walled exterior.
The house
In recent years, the house, which is made up of six rooms including two bedrooms, has been extensively renovated in a style combining authenticity with modernity, preserving original features such as the exposed beams, optimising the volumes and adding windows to allow light to stream in. The chevron-patterned oakwood flooring, terracotta tiles, small-paned windows and period fireplace lend the property the charm of the past which is harmoniously combined with modern comfort.
The ground floor
The dual-aspect entrance hall leads to a kitchen and dining room. In the grey-green, customised fitted kitchen paved with terracotta floor tiles, the ceiling extends up to the house’s roof ridge. As such, the room boasts plenty of cupboard space and is bathed in light, while the dining room acts as a transition between two lounges. The first of them opens onto the courtyard through French windows. The light-coloured oakwood flooring, the pink-hued stone fireplace and the white walls plus exposed, white-painted joists make for a gentle and cosy ambiance. The snugger second lounge boasts a more formal atmosphere thanks to the royal blue tones. It could be used as a reading room, an office or a guests’ bedroom and leads to a shower room and a lavatory, possibly providing its occupants with an independent ground-floor suite.
The upstairs
This level can be reached via two separate staircases located in each wing of the house. From the main lounge, the first staircase climbs to a landing leading to a Zellige-tiled shower room with a lavatory, followed by a bedroom with gentle tones, thanks to its white painted panelling, light-coloured exposed beams and seagrass flooring. To make the most of the volumes, storage space has been built-in to the slopes of the ceiling. From the smaller lounge, a second staircase climbs to another bedroom on a mezzanine, which boasts large cupboards.
The garden
The approximately 70-m² finely gravelled courtyard has been designed as a small landscaped garden around a fountain. Several potted plants, including boxwood, heather and ivy, as well as rose bushes, provide a touch of greenery to the mineral setting. In the sunny months, the covered patio, with a wooden roof frame, is like a genuine extra room.
Our opinion
This elegant small house combines the character of old edifices with an interior design created for modern use. The elegantly conducted renovation has combined traditional materials with more daring decorative designs: white-painted beams, oakwood parquet flooring, period terracotta tiles and deep colours. The various rooms are divided between the house’s two wings and are suitable for everyday use, weekend breaks or as a holiday home. The walled courtyard provides the property with an easy to maintain outside space sheltered from view.
495 000 €
Fees at the Vendor’s expense
Reference 181846
| Land registry surface area | 135 m² |
| Main building floor area | 95 m² |
| Number of bedrooms | 2 |
French Energy Performance Diagnosis
Information on the risks to which this property is exposed is available on the website: www.georisques.gouv.fr
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NB: The above information is not only the result of our visit to the property; it is also based on information provided by the current owner. It is by no means comprehensive or strictly accurate especially where surface areas and construction dates are concerned. We cannot, therefore, be held liable for any misrepresentation.
